Steve Wright Dies at 82, Ex-NFL OL Was Model for Walter Payton Man of the Year Trophy

Steve Wright, the offensive lineman used as the model for the Walter Payton Man of the Year trophy, died at 82 on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers announced Tuesday.

Before his time in the NFL, Wright played for Alabama, where he won a national championship in 1961.

Wright, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 1964 NFL draft, played with the Packers from 1964 to 1967 before spending two seasons with the New York Giants. He finished up his career with one-year stops in Washington, Chicago and St. Louis before retiring in 1972.

In 1965, Wright started 11 games at right tackle for the Packers, helping the team win a championship under legendary coach Vince Lombardi. While he wasn't a major contributor moving forward, he was a member of two more championship teams in Green Bay before being traded to the Giants.

According to Packers historian Cliff Christl, artist Daniel Bennett Schwartz was commissioned by the NFL to create a sculpture called "The Gladiator" in 1969. Schwartz asked the team for a player to use the model, and they selected Wright, making him the face of the coveted award.

That trophy was renamed after legendary running back Walter Payton in 1999, but Wright's legacy lives on when the trophy is handed out every year to a player who exemplifies community service alongside his play on the field.